I put some seasonings in which I buy in bulk cheap so I just count $.02 for them unless it is an expensive one.

So my Fish main dish ends up costing $2.46 for 4 servings or about $.62 each serving.

I do this for my sides also to get the total cost of the meal

Tilapia 4 fillet $2.33

Breadcrumbs $.05

Oil 2 T $.06

Potatoes 3 $.20

Soy Milk 2T $.04

Margarine 2T $.09

1 Can Green Beans $.50

So My Grand total for the Dinner above is $3.27 for 4 servings or about $.82 per serving. This is not bad considering a fish and chips can cost anywhere from $5.99 to $9.99 at a fast food restaurant per meal. Also the meal cooked at home tastes so much better.

So if you are trying to get your grocery budget down you may consider figuring out the cost per meal for your family favorites and cooking the low cost ones more often. Also once you know what the expensive items are in a recipe you can be on the lookout for them on sale and stock up. This will bring down your price per meal. If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.